An enraged Florida couple was arrested after being caught on camera attacking and punching a middle school resource officer who was disciplining their son for shoving a classmate.
Jorge Rivera, 46, and his wife, Dagmarie Aponte Iturino, 45, were both charged with assault Tuesday after a meeting with Deltona Middle School officials descended into chaos, authorities said.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said the parents went to the school to “protest” an officer's decision to slap their son with battery after he shoved the girl the day before.
“When Jorge did not like the outcome of the meeting, he became enraged and began screaming at the sheriff's office and was asked to leave,” the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The officer's body camera footage shows the moment Rivera became emotional and began lashing out at the female deputy, calling her a “worthless woman.”
“Why are you so worthless? Are you proud of yourself for being so worthless?” he can be heard exclaiming in the three-minute video.
As his wife tries to push him back, he adds, “Shut up, I'm paying your salary, you idiot.”
Moments later, the situation escalated when the boy's mother allegedly shoved an officer in the hallway and his father punched him in the face, prompting officers to whip out their Tasers, the sheriff's office said.
The officer was knocked to the ground during the scuffle and was later treated at a hospital for a concussion, authorities said.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood said, “If you wonder why some children in today's society don't fear the consequences, look at these parents as Exhibit A.”
“We are glad they are behind bars and look forward to them being held fully accountable for this blatant attack on a deputy who was simply doing his job.”
The parents were each charged with resisting with violence, interfering with a school function, trespassing on school grounds, and assault on a law enforcement officer.
Rivera is also charged with armed robbery and grand larceny for stealing the deputy's Taser, which was on the floor, authorities said.
